Inbound links - definition

External inbound links are a key driver of SEO visibility and SERP ranking, by far the most important factor in your website’s link strategy and SEO opportunity.

Also referred to as ‘backlinks’, inbound links are a measure of your site’s authority and popularity, based on whether an outside site deems the information on one of your website’s pages worth linking to in order to add value to a page on his site.

While these inbound links are coveted by most sites, not all of these links carry the same weight. The amount of ‘link juice’ of an inbound link is dependent on the authority and rank of the host site. That is to say that the host site’s relevance is judged by the quantity and the quality of the sites that link to it.

Let’s say you own a small home building business in the northern suburbs of Chicago. You write a blog, you post video, you post guides and tools to help future homeowners navigate the buying process. A local Chamber of Commerce likes your site and links to it on their business page – good. The homebuilder association in your area gives you a link – nice. A regional real estate news aggregator gives you a link, or links to select posts as they fit that site’s editorial content – great. A national real estate site links to your content on several of its topical pages – fantastic. You manage a quality / quantity mix of all of the above and more – perfect.

Inbound links provide a solid basis for a ranking profile that make the balance of your SEO efforts more productive.